Circuit control device



Jan 2E, 3%?

J. e. JUHASZ CIRCUIT CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 7, 1945 v Patented Jan. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCUIT CONTROL DEVICE James G. Juhasz, Chicago, 111. Application April 7, 1945, Serial No. 587,044

12 Claims.

My invention relates to a switch and more particularly to a centrifugal switch that is particularly adapted for cutting out the starting winding of a split phase motor after the same reaches its normal speed.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a switch of the above mentioned character with a mounting for the movable contact member thereof that is of a simple character and which insulates the movable contact from the other moving parts of the device whereby said contact is moved into and out of cooperation with a stationary contact.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a switch mounting for a split phase motor of the above mentioned character that can be readily applied in position in a surrounding relation to a motor shaft, a movable contact member of a novel character being provided to permit this.

It is a further purpose of my invention to .provide means for cushioning the movement of the switch operating member so as to prevent any chattering thereof and to reduce wear on the parts and noise that would otherwise be occasioned by the operation of the switch.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description of the drawing proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described except as defined in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through my improved switch showing a fragmentary portion of the motor in section;

Figure 2 is a face view in elevation of the switch as viewed from the line 2--2 of Figure 1, the motor shaft being shown in section;

Figure 3 is a detached elevation view of the rotatable switch operating member; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line !--4 of Figure 2 showing the contacts separated.

Referring in detail to the drawing my improved switch is shown as being applied to a split phase motor, having a rotor ID, the same being mounted in a housing II which has a bearing 12 provided therein for the motor shaft l3.

Mounted on said rotor is a switch operating member having a ring-like body portion I4 having laterally extending ears l5 having openings I 6 provided therein for the securing elements I! securing the ring-like member M to the rotor. Projecting from the ring-like body portion 14 are the curved yieldable arms l8 upon the outer ends of which are secured the weights l9 and. the

felt rollers 20, said rollers being rotatably mounted on the shaft-like members 28'. Said ring-like member and said arms are made of resilient material so that said arms can bend under the influence of centrifugal force when the rotor reaches a predetermined speed and have the normal position shown in Figure 1.

The opening 2| in the ring-like member surrounds the shaft l3 to space said member therefrom and the body portion [4 may be provided with openings 22 to which slits 23 lead in order to increase the flexibility of the mounting of the ring-like member. The ring-like member is preferably curved at 23', the arms I8 following the same curve as that of said portion of the ringlike member. The said ring-like portions as well as said arms serve as a flexible mounting for the weights and said felt rollers permitting movement thereof outwardly by centrifugal force and return to stationary position, which is that shown in Figure 1.

The switch mechanism further comprises an insulating member 24 of a flat plate-like character which is secured to the housing I l by screw threaded elements 25, spacing members 26 being provided between said plate-like member 24 and the wall of the housing. The plate-like member 24 has a central opening 21 therein which receives the shaft [3 and the margin of which is spaced from said shaft. A spring 28 of a substantially U-shaped character has the wide ear 29 on one end thereof fixed to the bottom edge of the insulating body portion 24 by means of suitable securing elements 30 and has an upstanding leg 3| to which is secured a depending ear 32 on the ring-like member 33 which has a conical inner portion 34 upon which the rollers 20 operate when said rollers contact said ring-like member.

Mounted on the insulating body 24 on the face thereof toward the rotor is a cushioning ring 35 of felt which is secured thereto in any desired manner, said cushioning ring being engaged by the inwardly bevelled conical portion of the ring 33 in case said ring should move so far to the left, as viewed in Figure 1.

Mounted on the opposite face of the insulating body 24 is a movable contact carrying member 36, said contact carrying member having a pair of legs 31 which are secured to the insulating body at their ends by headed screw fastenings 38, and having outwardly bowed middle portions 39 that extend around the shaft l3 in spaced relation, said outwardly bowed portions joining to provide an upwardly extending finger 49 on said contact carrying member.

The movable contact i! is mounted on said contact carrying member at the junction of the portions 39 and H] thereof, said contact carrying member being made of resilient material and said finger 49 being urged in a direction to engage a depending end 42 of a substantially U-shaped member 43 which extends from the upwardly extending ear 4% on the ring-like member 33, said U-shaped member is comprising an inner metallic extension 65 of the ear A l and an insulating covering GB, preferably of rubber, so as to serve also as a cushioning means tolimit the movement of the movable contact member in a switch opening direction.

Cooperating with the movable contact member 4| is a stationary contact i? which is mounted on a bar-like member 53 secured at its ends by fastening elements 39 to the insulating body 2 said stationary contact d? being secured to the member 48 by means of a screw threaded headed member 59 which also serves as a binding screw for the conductor 5i which is one of the conductors leading to the starter winding to supply electrical energy thereto. The other conductor 52 of the circuit in which the switch is interposed to control the supply of electrical energy to said starting winding is connected under the screw 38 which serves as a binding screw therefor.

When the motor is not in operation and the rotor is stationary the rollers 26 will be in contact with the portion as of the ring-like member and the switch contacts will be in the position shown in Figure 1. In this position of the parts the spring 28 will be tensioned and will exert a pressure on the rollers 33. As the speed of the rotor increases the weights it under the infiuence of the centrifugal force will move outwardly and the arms 18 on said ring-like member will reach such a position that the rollers 34 will be disengaged from the ring-like member 33 and said ring-like member 33 will move to the right of the position shown in Figure 1, moving the U-shaped member to the right and permitting the spring contact carrying member 36, which is shaped so as to be urged toward the insulating body- 24 to be moved to the right until the member 43 engages the insulating body 23. The contacts 4i and 5i will then be separated, thus disconnecting the starting winding from the circuit.

Bythe provision of the felt rollers and the rubber covering 46, the switch will be free of noise and furthermore, due to the provision of the insulating means between the ring-like member and movable contact carrying member 36 there will be no current flowing through any of the operating parts of the device except the contact carrying member 35 and mounting for the stationary contact carrying member 53 and the contacts 41 and 47.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an openingtherein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, resilient means connecting said ringlike member with said base, weighted means mounted to rotate with said rotor having rollers thereon adapted to engage said ringlike member'to tension said resilient means, a stationary contact 4 on said base, a movable contact cooperating therewith, a contact carrying member on which said movable contact is mounted, and means on said ringlike member engaging said contact carrying member to determine the position of said contact carrying member by the position of said ringlike member, said rollers moving out of contact with said ringlike member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed to permit said ringlike member to move to a position to disengage said movable contact from said stationary contact under the influence of said resilient means.

2. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comrpising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, resilient means connecting said ringlike member with said base, weighted means mounted to rotate with said rotor having rollers thereon adapted to engage said ringlike member to tension said resilient means, a stationary contact on said base, a movable contact cooperating therewith, a contact carrying member on which said movable. contact is mounted, having a pair of arms extending in spaced relation to said shaft on opposite sides thereof secured to said base, and means on said ringlike member engaging said contact carrying member to determine the position of said contact carrying member by the position of said ringlike member, said rollers moving out of contact with said ringlike member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed to permit said ringlike member to move to a position to disengage said movable contact from said stationary contact under the influence of said resilient means.

3. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixedposition, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft; in spaced relation to saidbase, a ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, resilient means connecting said ringlike member with said base, weighted means mounted to rotate with said motor having rollers of cushioning material thereon adapted to engage said ringlike member to tension said resilient means, a

stationary contact on said base, a. movable contact cooperating therewith, a contact carrying member on which said movable contact is mounted, and means on said ringlike member engaging said. contact carrying member to determine the position of said contact carrying member by the position of said ringlike member, said, rollers moving out of contact with said ringlike member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined. speed to permit said ringlike member to move to a position to disengage said movable contact from said. stationary contact under the influence of said resilient means.

4. The combination with a motor having arotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a, ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, resilient means connecting said ringlike memberwithsaid base, weighted means mounted to rotate with said rotor having rollers of cushioning material thereon adapted to engage said rin like member to tension said resilient means, a stationary contact on said base, a movable contact cooperating therewith, a contact carrying member on which said movable contact is mounted, cushioning means on said base engaged by said ringlike member upon abnormal movement thereof toward said base, and means on said ringlike member engaging said contact carryingmember to determine the position of said contact carrying member by the position of said ringlike member, said rollers moving out of contact with said ring-like member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed to permit said ringlike member to move to a position to isengage said movable contact from said stationary contact under the influence of said resilient means.

5. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a contact carrying member having a pair of resilient arms extending on opposite sides of said shaft in spaced relation thereto mounted on said base, an extension on said member opposite said arms, a movable contact member between said extension and arms, a cooperating stationary contact mounted on said base, and means responsive to the speed of said rotor for determining the position of said contact carrying member, comprising a ring-like member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, and means on said ring-like member engaging said extension to determine the position of said contact carryin member by the position of said ring-like member.

6. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a contact carrying memher having a pair of resilient arms extending on opposite sides of said shaft in spaced relation thereto mounted on said base, an extension on said member opposite said arms, a movable contact member between said extension and arms, a cooperating stationary contact mounted on said base, and means responsive to the speed of said rotor for determining the position of said contact carrying member, comprising a ring-like member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, and means on said ring-like member engaging said contact carrying member to determine the position of said contact carrying member by the position of said ring-like member, comprising a member engaging said extension and insulated therefrom.

7. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a contact carrying member having a pair of resilient arms extending on opposite sides of said shaft in spaced relation thereto mounted on said base, an extension on said member opposite said arms, a movable contact member between said extension and arms, a cooperating stationary contact mounted on said base, and means responsive to the speed of said rotor for determining the position of said contact carrying member, comprising a ring-like member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, and means on said ring-like member engaging said contact carrying member to determine the position of said contact carrying member by the position of said ring-like member, comprising a member engaging said extension and insulated therefrom, having means for cushioning the opening movement of said contact carrying member.

8. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, means responsive to the speed of said rotor determining the position of said ringlike member comprising resilient means and a member mounted on said rotor having rollers of cushioning sound deadening material thereon adapted to engage said ringlike member to tension said resilient means movable out of engagement with said ringlike member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed, a stationary contact, a movable contact cooperating therewith, and means determining the position of said movable contact responsive to the position of said ringlike member.

9. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, means responsive to the speed of said rotor determining the position of said ringlike member comprising a U-shaped spring mounting said ringlike member on one side of said base in spaced relation thereto, and a member mounted on said rotor having rollers of cushioning sound deadening material thereon adapted to engage said ringlike member to tension said spring movable out of engagement with said ringlike member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed, a stationary contact, a movable contact cooperating therewith, means for mounting said contacts on the other side of said base, and means on said ringlike member extending around the edge of said base for determining the position of said movable contact member, said means having a covering of insulating cushioning material.

10. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, means responsive to the speed of said rotor determining the position of said ringlike member comprising a U-shaped spring mounting said ringlike member on one side of said base in spaced relation thereto, and a member mounted on said rotor having rollers of cushioning sound deadening material thereon adapted to engage said ringlike member to tension said spring movable out of engagement with said ringlike member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed, a stationary contact, a movable contact cooperating therewith, means for mounting said contacts on the other side of said base, and a U-shaped finger on said ringlike member extending around the edge of said base for determining the po sition of said movable contact member, said finger having a covering of insulating cushioning material.

111. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a ringlike member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, said ringlike member having a conical flange thereon, means responsive to the speed of said rotor determining the position of said ringlike member, comprising resilient means, and a member mounted on said rotor having rollers of cushioning sound deadening material thereon mounted to rotate about axes oblique to the axis of said ringlike member'adapted to engage said conical flange to tension said resilient means movable out of engagement with said ringlike member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed, a stationary contact,'a movable contact cooperating therewith, and means determining the position of said movable contact responsive to the position of said ringlike member.

12. The combination with a motor having a rotor and a shaft projecting therefrom, of a switch comprising a base of insulating material mounted in fixed position, said base having an opening therein receiving said shaft in spaced relation to said base, a ring-like member surrounding said shaft and spaced therefrom, means responsive to the speed of said rotor determining the position of said ring-like member, comprising resilient means and a ring-likemember on said rotor surrounding said shaft having ears thereon, shafts on said ears, rollers on said shafts, weights on said ears, said member being yieldable to hold said rollers in contact with said ring-like member due to the action of said Weights and move said rollers out of engagement with said ring-like member upon said rotor reaching a predetermined speed, a stationary contact, a movable contact'cooperating therewith, and means determining the position of said movable contact responsive to the position of said ringlike member.

JAMES G. JUHASZ. 

